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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — the most important part
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to point toward
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. key — for a lock
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com